I have been genuinely surprised that everyone has verbally, without provocation, told me how much they love this soup. Creamy and full of flavor. Add bacon or leave just veggies. It has so many vegetables in one serving, its a great way to get the less-used veggies into your diet.

Perfect light meal-in-a-bowl after all the holiday over eating.


1 Onion
1-2 cloves of Fresh Garlic
1 small Zucchini
1 bunch of Asparagus
1 head of Broccoli
1/2 head of Cauliflower
1 small Celery Root
1-3 tbs. Grass Fed Butter
Chicken stock or Water
5 oz. Container of Arugula
Sea Salt to taste

Peel the celery root and clean and chop up all your veggies. It doesn't matter the size as this soup will be being blended. Yippee! Easy.

Use your broccoli stems! Under that tough skin is tender broccoli flesh.

This is an other idea for your broccoli stems (Pressed Salad)

Make your chicken stock or skip this step if you're using just water. (Click here for instruction)

Saute your onions in a generous pad of butter.

Then add all your veggies, minus the arugula, and the broth to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until everything is tender. About 15-20min.

OPTIONAL: Add 2-4 strips of bacon or turkey bacon for an added umph!

Once everything is soft, add the arugula and simmer 3-5 min.

Blend with an immersion blender or in batches in your regular blender. Season with salt to taste.

Symphony Soup.

Delish.

It's cold and windy in North England. "What would you like to do today?" my friend asks me in French. "I can think of nothing better than learning from your mom how to make a traditional Persian dish." I then spend the best day in the warm kitchen with smells and taste combinations I've never had before, laughing and cooking. It was one of the most memorable and fun times on that trip to Europe.

Her mother didn't speak English and I don't speak Farsi, so your guess is as good as mine as to the name of this stew. It's made with walnuts and pomegranates. In Persia, its only prepared at important events like weddings, etc. I'm so happy to share this exotic treasure with you for the Holidays!

3 cups Walnuts
1 med Onion
2 cloves Garlic
2-3 Lbs. Organic Free Range Chicken  or Stew beef (I'm using boneless beef ribs here)
1 tsp. Turmeric
1 1/2 cups Water plus 1 more cup
2 tbs. Tomato Paste or 1/3 cup Tomato Sauce
1/2-3/4 cup Pomegranate Molasses (see below)
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 cup Date syrup (click here to learn more) or coconut sugar to taste

Roast your walnuts for 10-15 min. They need to be aromatic and golden not browned.

Roughly chop your onion and skin your garlic.

Add onion, garlic and turmeric to walnuts with 1 1/2 cups water into a food processor. My Blender is a Ninja, so it can food process. A regular blender may not blend everything smoothly.

Blend until smooth. 

Pour into your cooking pot. Then add the 1 cup of water to the food processor to get all the walnut particles off the blades and sides. Add to the rest of the mixture in the pot.

It should have this consistency.

Bring to a boil. Boil on low for 30min or so.

You can find Pomegranate molasses at your local Iranian store. Most cities have one. If not, maybe the internet. It's only a few buck. Be sure to get the one that has no added sugar. Just pom concentrate.

Add pom molasses and tomato paste.

Low boil until the oils separate like in this picture.

Add your meat and cook for 2-3 hours (depending on your cut). Just make sure whatever meat you choose is falling off the bone or very tender.

At that point, add your date syrup. Mix well.

Not eating meat for most of my adult life, I had no idea how to make it tender and flavorful. When I  made the switch, I asked my body how it would like my first piece of meat and I saw a picture of a woman stirring a caldron over a fire. It had carrots, cabbage and potatoes in it. You would expect the body to have some difficulty with it's first time in almost 20 years, but there was none! I was emotionally ready and I chose my first cooking technique well. Now I'm known in my circle of friends as "super carnivore" as a joke. And needless to say, I've mastered stewing it. Many of my clients also like it this way, I hope you do, too.

1-2lbs. Grass Fed Stew Meat (like Chuck, Shank or Rump Roast)
Pad of Grass Fed Butter
Fresh Garlic
Stew Spices: Bay Leaf, Pepper Corns, Mustard Seeds, Rosemary, Red Pepper, Coriander Seeds, Onion Powder
Sea Salt
Water
Optional: Cooking Wine

Melt your butter in a stew pot. I have a Zepter one that really cooks nicely, but anyone with a thick bottom and stainless would be fine.

Add your stew meat and fry in butter until it is brown and aromatic. Boy will it be aromatic! My mouth waters at this stage, but you have to snack on something else, because it's gonna be hours before it's done.

Turn it over and braise the other side.

Once both sides are browned, add fresh garlic and your cooking wine if you are using it. Maybe 1/4-1/2 cup.

Place your spices of choice on a piece of cheese cloth. I'm using 1 tbs. of corned beef mix here plus adding rosemary. Each time I do it a little differently. Play around to find your favorite combo.

Tie the cheesecloth in a knot, trapping the spices, so they give flavor but you can remove them later.

Add enough water to come at least half way up the side of your meat and bring to a boil. Then cover and let it simmer on low flame for 3-4 hours. This will depend on your cut of meat. Half way through, I usually flip it.

It's done when it falls apart with the touch of a spoon.

Remove the spice sack.

If using shank, take the bone out. Any marrow that may be left inside, remove and leave it in the broth.

Taste and season with salt if it needs it.





Options: Wonderful just as it is...

Bone Broth is famous for healing all kinds of ailments like the common cold, making your joints move smoothly, your hair and nails strong, and reducing need for actual meat... to even big things like reversing autoimmune dysfunction.

I can tell you, as I made this for the blog, the house smelled rich and sweet... and better than a pie in the oven! It takes a while to make it the way I describe, but you can take the short cut and simmer it on the stove for 3-4 hours until the marrow melts into the broth. I often make a slighter version by getting a beef shank and braising it, then cooking it till the marrow and meat are falling away tender.

Grass fed Beef Bones with marrow
Veggies like carrot, onion, celery, etc...
Water

Parchment paper
Cookie sheet
Crockpot

For good quality bones, you'll pay around $5/lb. But this makes a lot of broth that you can use in many dishes or freeze for later.

Line a casserole or cookie pan with sides with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 mins.

Or until it is browned.

Place in a large crock pot with your veggies. Cover with 10-12 cups of water.

Set Crockpot to High for 2-3 hours and then to low for 12-20 more.

Strain your bones and veggies out.

Place in mason jars or freezable containers.

Lasts 7-10 days in the fridge.

Who doesn't know how to make chicken broth? Well a vegetarian may not... I was vegan for 14 years (and pescetarian for another 4) and I thought I knew the basics, but didn't realize what type to use, or how nutritious and tasty it could make my dishes.

Now that I'm practicing a more Paleo lifestyle, I still don't eat much chicken, so this is a great way to vary my animal nutrition without having to eat it. Boy does it make mash potatoes and soups sooooo much better!

1 Whole Organic Chicken, or just pieces (but be sure it's bone in)
8-12 cups Water (need to cover what ever sized chicken you have)
2 tsp. Sea Salt

Optional:
1-2 Carrots, chunked
1-2 Celery or celery root,chunked
1 Onion, leave peel on and chop
1 cup Italian Parsley, stems too!
2 Cloves Garlic, unpeeled
2 Bay leaves
(Optional)Other Fresh Herbs/Spices of choice (like thyme, peppercorns, paprika, basil...)

Buy the best Organic Chicken you can. Whole foods has levels of quality for your choosing. If you know a local farmer, that's always optimal.

The quality of your chicken becomes the quality of your meal which becomes your blood and that in turn makes the quality of your health. Please choose wisely and try not to have $money play too big of a factor.

Pay now or pay later as they say...

Place all in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil.

Then cover and simmer for 1 hour.

The chicken should be falling off the bone and very tender. Gently take out your chicken for use in an other dish

~and strain your vegetables, if using.

Freeze or use in the next 4-5 days for a rich and flavorful addition to your soup, etc.






Some uses for Chicken broth: